When I first started watching bullying of Deku was appalling, as he went to such great lengths to antagonize his classmate that he even told him to jump off a roof. For the longest time, Bakugo was a character I could find nothing positive or irable in. He seemed to fit the archetype of a bully to a tee, and I assumed for a while that his only purpose in the story was to be an obstacle for Deku to overcome.
However, once I reached season three of My Hero Academia, particularly the Hideout Raid arc and shortly afterward, my perspective on Bakugo as a character began to shift dramatically. In this arc, Bakugo experiences his most terrifying ordeal yet: being kidnapped by the League of Villains and asked by their leader, Tomura Shigaraki, to their despicable cause. Forced to confront his own mortality, this was a sink or swim moment for Bakugo, that forced him to choose between good and evil in the highest stakes moment he had ever experienced. Bakugo's decisions changed everything for him, and also, changed how I viewed him.
I Previously Found Bakugo To Be My Hero Academia’s Most Annoying and Rude Character
Bakugo’s Resistance to Shigaraki’s Invitation Was His First Step Towards True Heroism
Bakugo emphatically told Shigaraki no, a tremendous act of bravery against the series' most intimidating villain at the time. This scene marked a shift in Bakugo's mindset and behavior, which caused me to appreciate him a lot more. Previously, I had assumed Bakugo became a hero for purely selfish reasons, but he completely refused to turn his back on heroism, even when threatened with his life. His confrontation with Shigaraki proved Bakugo's solid commitment to honor and saving others even when it might risk his own life, which is one of the cardinal hallmarks of an exemplary hero.
10 Best Bakugo Moments in My Hero Academia
Bakugo Katsuki is one of My Hero Academia's most determined and heroic characters, and these are the ten moments where he shined the most.
I was still not completely sold on Bakugo yet, but this one act of bravery against Shigaraki was only the first step on his journey to becoming a better person. Season three of My Hero Academia contains some of Bakugo's most noble sacrifices and powerful apologies of the entire series, and for me, it proved Bakugo is an honorable person deep down. Following his kidnapping, more of his genuine emotions came bubbling to the surface, in a way I had not seen previously. Bakugo often hid his true feelings, but as he became more open and honest, my love for him developed.
His Character Development in Season Three Shifted My Perspective on the Aspiring Hero
In My Opinion, No My Hero Academia Character’s Growth Is as Stark and Dramatic as Bakugo’s in Season Three
Another scene that changed my mind about Bakugo was his honest apology to Deku and All Might. Bakugo owned up to his own shortcomings. itting faults is hard to do as an adult, and even more so as a teenager, so Bakugo's candid ittance of his faults was irable to me and took courage and maturity. He expressed guilt for bullying Deku and remorse for causing All Might to lose his powers while saving him. This was more raw emotion than I had ever seen from Bakugo, and it helped me realize he was more self-aware and genuine than I ever imagined.
These scenes further humanized Bakugo in my eyes, helping me see him as not just a rude bully, but an insecure teenager working to do better. Seeing the full range of Bakugo’s emotions, the guilt he felt for his past mistakes, and his commitment to do better going forward made me begin to ire this character I once assumed would amount to nothing more than the wisecracking class jerk. Comparing Bakugo in season one and season three is like looking at two different people side by side because, in such a short time, he improved more than any other character.
Seeing Bakugo’s Inner Struggles Increased My Sympathy and Understanding of His Character
Bakugo Realized He Could Never Be a Hero Like All Might Unless He Stopped His Current Unheroic Behavior
Elements of Bakugo's personality I once found irritating, like his sassiness, fiery remarks, and constant struggle to be at the top of the class, made more sense in light of his character development, and thus, began to become endearing to me. After his heart-to-heart conversation with Deku and All Might, Bakugo was still smart-mouthed and witty, but not needlessly cruel. He stopped tearing Deku down as a person and instead focused on developing a competitive, mutually beneficial rivalry with Deku that even borders on friendship and camaraderie. He poured his energy into building himself up, not dragging others down.
Bakugo seemed to me at first glance to be self-obsessed and annoyingly cocky, but his frank discussions with his hero, All Might, and Deku shed light on his true insecurities, causing me to sympathize with him. His rude demeanor and penchant for demeaning others suddenly made sense once I understood how deeply insecure he was. Season three was undoubtedly rock bottom for Bakugo and made him realize that if he did not stop his disrespectful and malicious behavior, he could never become a hero of All Might's caliber, which was the lifelong dream he was fighting to achieve.
Bakugo’s Character Arc Proves That Anyone Can Become a Better Person
By Transforming From Bully to Hero, Bakugo Proved Anyone Can Improve
Bakugo was never the same after being kidnapped, but in the best way. These emotional scenes were not one and done moments of character development for Bakugo, as he continued his upward trajectory and became more of a hero in later seasons. Other noteworthy accomplishments of Bakugo's include babysitting children with uncontrollable Quirks and teaching them important values, developing Ultimate Moves with his Quirk that astounded even the Pro Heroes, and even being willing to sacrifice his own life to save Deku's, injuring himself seriously in the process. I am willing to it that I was completely wrong about Bakugo.
My Hero Academia's Controversial Ending Was Actually Foreshadowed From The Very Start
The explosive hero Bakugo exclaimed in the very first chapter that he would do exactly what he did at the end of My Hero Academia.
I usually don’t change my mind completely about a character, but Bakugo is one of those characters it takes time to truly get to know and appreciate fully. His best character development does not occur until midway through the story, causing viewers like me to believe that he will never become more than a bully. When Bakugo does begin to come into his own, he becomes not only more likable, funny, and sympathetic, he also becomes living proof that anyone can become a better person if they are willing to put in the work, which is one of My Hero Academia's most inspiring lessons.
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk s into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
- Seasons
- 7
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- Franchise
- My Hero Academia
- Production Company
- Bones
- Number of Episodes
- 159
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